The subject matter of the first real post in nearly a year?
Laundry. The most mundane subject I could think of for the occasion. (I
actually thought about saving this post for later, then decided, meh, we all do
it…maybe laundry will bring us all together! Let’s see, shall we?) After all, laundry
is a part of all of our lives (with or without the recent addition of a tiny
human who habitually wets himself).
Three people have asked me in the last couple of months about
the laundry detergent I started making a couple of years ago. Before I chose a
recipe, I researched MANY; there are hundreds to be found on the Interwebs and
in books. One recipe of the mix I finally decided on lasted our household for
almost two whole years (in the Age Before Charlie).
The measurements used need not be exact, just generally
proportional—so go ahead and halve, double or triple the recipe. If you have a
few tablespoons of baking soda left in the box, go ahead, throw caution to the
wind and add it.
All of the ingredients can be found in the detergent
aisle of most grocery or general stores—the castile soap included.
Laundry Soap
7 cups washing soda (a full 3 lbs 7 oz. box)
7 cups borax
2 cups baking soda
3 bars castile soap, grated (12-15 oz. total).
A note about castile soap: I’ve tried Fels Naptha and
Kirk’s. Both work, but I like Fels Naptha better (for no good reason, really,
both have the mildest of scents…I like Fels Naptha’s better). Fels Naptha is
sold in a bigger bar than Kirks—I just use 3 bars no matter the brand as long
as they aren’t vastly different.
Measure washing soda, borax, and baking soda into a storage
container. Grate all three bars of soap with a cheese grater or the grating
blade of a food processor and add. Mix all ingredients well with a plastic or
metal spoon.
The making is done! This process really only takes 10
minutes. Totally worth it.
To use, just add one to two heaping tablespoons of detergent
to each load of laundry, depending on the size of load. This recipe should last
for 150+ loads of laundry and costs about 6 cents a load, which is far less
than half the cost of most store-bought detergents. I spent less than $10 on supplies
for TWO YEARS of laundry. Not bad.
Our clothes feel and smell clean and colors remain
bright—which is all I am looking for in a detergent. If your house has older
plumbing (like ours), you know that detergents that produce heavy suds can back
up drains. Suds are also problematic for high efficiency washers. This
detergent produces few suds and is gentle on plumbing, machines, clothing, and
skin. There’s a lot to like about it.
I keep my detergent in a vintage All pail
that my sister found at Farm Chicks one year. I'm sure it hasn't seen detergent
for decades. There were no holes in the metal, but the bottom of the bucket was
very rusty. I scraped the rust with a wire brush and painted it grey to keep my
detergent from damaging the bucket further (and to keep the rust out of my
clothes). It makes me happy that I’m repurposing to the original purpose; I
think the bucket probably likes holding soap again. (Really the soap should be
kept in a container with a lid, but I live on the edge).
Do make your own detergent? Likes? Dislikes? How do you feel
about laundry?
